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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28222203">How to keep warm in a Faerghus winter</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rydia/pseuds/rydia'>rydia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Getting Together, Post Game, Snowed In, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, cuddling for warmth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:14:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,697</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28222203</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rydia/pseuds/rydia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There's nothing as cold as a Faerghus winter, especially when you aren't dressed appropriately for it and get caught in a blizzard. </p><p>At least Byleth has Felix to keep her warm. <br/>-<br/>Another gift for Becks for the Felileth secret santa, this time for the snowed-in prompt! (with a dash of <i>there was only one bed</i>)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Felix Hugo Fraldarius/My Unit | Byleth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>168</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Felileth Secret Santa 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>How to keep warm in a Faerghus winter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/mahbecks/gifts">mahbecks</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Another gift for <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/mahbecks/">Becks</a> for the Felileth secret santa! I leaned in hard on some tropes here. Happy Felilethmas! I hope you enjoy the gifts. </p><p>And thank you again to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyverntail/">Vi</a> for reading this over for me.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>It is not appropriate</em>, Seteth had told her, <em>for the Archbishop to be gallivanting about the country like she is still a mercenary.</em></p><p>With no small amount of impatience, Byleth had responded that he was worrying too much. <em>It will be fine</em>, she had said, doing her best to remain polite. <em>And I’ll be with Dimitri and the army</em>. <em>It’s not inappropriate for me to defend the country alongside the King</em>.</p><p>Seteth had grumbled but acquiesced after he’d wrangled a promise from her to be extremely careful and stay with her battalion.</p><p>Byleth had broken that promise.</p><p>So now, here she is, lost in the middle of a blizzard somewhere in northern Faerghus. The wind is howling and the snow is swirling violently around her. Her feet have gone numb, and her face feels raw.</p><p><em>At least I’m not alone</em>, Byleth thinks briefly, before being hit with a stab of guilt as she glances at her companion.</p><p>Felix’s face is set in grim concentration as, like her, he focuses on putting one foot in front of the other against the wind. His hood is pulled up tight, with a few dark strands of hair that have come loose flying about his face.</p><p>The tendency they both have for pushing forward in battle and pushing <em>each other </em>had left them vulnerable today, and the sudden snow storm had cut them off from the rest of the army. Byleth can only hope Dimitri has managed to pull back the rest of the forces safely – they had at least been winning when the blizzard had started. For a brief moment, Byleth had thought it was magical in nature, as the Agarthans have used powerful magic before. But their enemies had also been taken unawares, and the storm has only increased in ferocity since then.</p><p>And Felix had simply grunted “<em>this is Faerghus</em>” at her, like that’s an explanation for the sudden, brutal blizzard.</p><p>She supposes it is.</p><p>A particularly strong gust of wind halts them both in their tracks, and Byleth shivers violently. It’s a good sign she hasn’t gone completely numb yet, she supposes, but she knows it’s only a matter of time.</p><p>She’s taken by surprise when Felix suddenly pulls her to him, wrapping his cloak around her as best as he can. It’s still dry on the inside, but of more interest to Byleth is the warmth she can feel from Felix, and not allowing herself to think too much about being this close to him without the excuse of sparring, she presses herself against him.</p><p>Still, though… “We can’t s-stop, Felix.” Her teeth are chattering. How had she not realised that before?</p><p>His hand presses into her back, holding her close. His eyes are scanning the area, a furrow between them. “Be quiet.”</p><p>She glances up at him, concerned that he might be hearing an enemy approach. But he makes no move for his sword, and has a contemplative look on his face as he glances around. Byleth follows his gaze, able to make out trees and bushes through the heavy snowfall. Drifts are quickly building up around them. It looks no different to the landscape they’ve been trudging through since the storm started.</p><p>“There,” Felix states, and wraps his arm around her shoulders as he leads them forward.</p><p>Byleth realises that it’s an old signpost that’s caught his attention, but all that’s written on it is the direction to Gautier castle to the north, and a town she’s unfamiliar with to the east.</p><p>“I know where we are,” Felix says, sounding triumphant. “We would come this way when visiting Sylvain – this is the very edge of Fraldarius territory. There should be an old hunter’s lodge–“ he pivots them slightly ”– in this direction. Not far. Think you can make it?”</p><p>She gives a jerky nod in reply, clenching her jaw tight in an attempt to stop her teeth chattering. How is he still able to speak? It’s so <em>cold</em>.</p><p>Felix doesn’t let go of her when he starts moving again, and Byleth can’t say that she minds. She lets him lead them towards this lodge, and later, she won’t be able to say how long it took. It feels like forever to her – every step an incredible effort – but it might only have been a few minutes. She doesn’t even realise they’ve reached the place until Felix lets go of her to dig away the snow around the entrance, and she blinks, knowing she should help, but her limbs feel too heavy.</p><p>Door open, Felix hustles her inside and slams it shut behind them. Byleth stands, shivering, while he immediately begins checking the supplies in the small building, making a pleased noise at something.</p><p>“There’s a few of these around the place – we used them when we hunted, and my father always made an effort to make sure they remained stocked for merchants and travellers passing through, especially in winter. It was harder during the war – there wasn’t much to stock them <em>with</em>.”</p><p>Byleth can only watch as he bundles some logs into the hearth and quickly starts a fire as he talks. She shuffles closer when it begins to blaze, seeking warmth, and Felix glances at her before quickly looking away.</p><p>“You should take off your clothes. They’re wet and cold,” he mutters.</p><p>Right. Of course. She <em>knows</em> that. Her mind feels sluggish, as numbed by the cold as the rest of her. Bringing her freezing hands up, Byleth attempts to take off her gloves, but finds her fingers won’t cooperate, and she seems to be shaking even harder than she had been outside.</p><p>Without a word, Felix takes off his own gloves and steps forward and begins removing hers for her. He keeps his eyes focused on his task – pulling off the gloves, and then her cloak, setting them aside, before taking her hands in his and rubbing them together. His hands are cool, but dry. Calloused from years of training. <em>Strong</em>, she thinks absently as she stares at their hand, transfixed by the sight of him touching her, warming her up.</p><p>“We got here just in time,” he mutters, his own eyes downcast. “Can you manage the rest yourself?” he asks. “I’ll turn away. Get you a blanket.”</p><p>She can only nod in reply, and with one final squeeze of her hands, Felix lets them go and immediately backs away.</p><p>Byleth inches closer to the fire, feeling the searing heat. Still, she presses her fingers together, like she’s trying to keep Felix’s warmth with her.</p><p>He quickly returns to her with a blanket, pulling her back from the fire slightly before he holds it out to her, hesitantly.</p><p>Byleth blinks down at it, and then glances back up at him, seeing the way he’s looking away with a flush across his face. She nods again, her brain still feeling sluggish.</p><p>Felix retreats to a corner of the room, turning his back to her, and for a moment Byleth watches him as he begins to remove his own clothes, before another violent shiver makes her get to work. It’s slow going, but she manages better now that her gloves are off, and her hands are a bit warmer, and she kicks all her wet clothes to the side and wraps the heavy blanket around her, sitting close to the fire, sighing with relief at being out of her sodden clothes even as she continues to shiver. The blanket is large enough to cover her nakedness completely, and she wraps it tight around herself, only her head visible.</p><p>A moment later Felix joins her, and she turns her head to see him wearing only a thin pair of trousers – his feet are bare, as is his chest, and her mouth goes dry. The sight is taken away from her too soon as he too wraps a blanket around his shoulders and, to her surprise, sits down behind her.</p><p>“W-what are y–“</p><p>He shushes her. “Stop talking. I’m going to put up your hair – it’s soaking wet and freezing.” He pauses and then asks, “If that’s alright?”</p><p>Byleth nods and feels him move closer. She tenses in anticipation and has to bite her lip to hold back a groan at how unexpectedly good it feels to have his hands run through her hair – wet and cold as it is.</p><p>Felix is gentle as he pulls her hair back. It’s not a word she’s ever associated with him before, but Byleth finds it fits, in a strange way. He is, sadly, quick about what he’s doing, and it’s not long before her hair is piled into a messy bun on the top of her head. His hand brushes against the back of her neck, and Byleth isn’t able to completely hold in a noise at that – and she’s not sure if the tiny squeak that escapes her is less or more embarrassing than a moan might have been.</p><p>His hand feels warmer now. She wonders if she asks, if he’d hold hers again.</p><p>The noise she makes is enough to get Felix to move his hand away, muttering an apology as he does so.</p><p>She sighs, wishing there was a non embarrassing way to ask him to keep touching her. “Ho-how are you so warm already?”</p><p>A tiny huff of laughter. “I grew up here. And I wear suitable clothes.” He pauses. “What were you thinking, coming to Faerghus in winter wearing <em>that</em>?”</p><p>Drawing her knees up to her chest, Byleth wraps her arms around them under the blanket. Her skin still feels clammy. Turning her head, she sees that Felix hasn’t moved far.</p><p>“There’s nothing wrong with my clothes.”</p><p>“They’re not <em>practical</em>.”</p><p>“I won a war in them, didn’t I?”</p><p>His lips twitch and he looks away again. “They were ridiculous then, too.”</p><p>“Were they?” Byleth asks, arch, grateful for this silly conversation because it distracts her from her shivering. And perhaps her brain is still a bit addled from the cold, because she then blurts out, “You stared at them enough.”</p><p>Felix starts in surprise, and draws away from her completely, the flush on his face deepening. Byleth feels a little bit bad. It hadn’t been the most tactful thing to say, and, well.. that’s as close as either of them has ever come to verbalising this… this <em>whatever</em> it is between them. An energy, an attraction – a something that Byleth can never quite be certain is one-sided on her part or not.</p><p>They are Felix and Byleth, who’d fought side by side throughout the war. Back then, when they weren’t marching, they were sparring together, or taking their meals together, or working in the Cardinal’s room together because sometimes even Felix couldn’t get out of paperwork. Several people had commented on their closeness, and Sylvain had made inappropriate jokes.</p><p>And then they had won the war, but the country still needed to be rebuilt. Felix had been needed back in Fraldarius to take up his role as Duke, although he’d left to rejoin the army as soon as it had become clear that the war isn’t <em>quite</em> over, that there is another, hidden enemy they needed to defeat, someone who Edelgard had been working with. A group that are even more dangerous than she had ever been.</p><p>They hadn’t had much time to regather their troops before the Agarthans attacked, and any hope for peace had been postponed. But in the face of this new enemy, Fódlan, shattered and tired by war, has pulled together under Dimitri’s rule. There’s nothing quite like a common enemy to unite people.</p><p>Byleth doesn’t want another war, and more killing, but it has been good to see her former students – now her friends – again. They’d all scattered to their own lives after the first war, while she’d stayed at Garreg Mach to take up the role of Archbishop.</p><p>It’s a role she still feels unsuited for, like she’s trying on ill-fitting clothes.</p><p>And it’s a little lonely in Garreg Mach without everyone. She’s missed them.</p><p>Especially Felix. She missed him in a way she’d been afraid to verbalise, even when Flayn had gently pried.</p><p>
  <em>“When Felix left, did he perhaps make any kind of promise to you? Give you a gift? Like… a piece of jewellery? A ring, perhaps?”</em>
</p><p>Byleth had known exactly what Flayn had been asking, but she’d played dumb. Felix had left her with nothing but an ache in her chest as he’d disappeared from her sight to go be Duke Fraldarius.</p><p>She’d said goodbye to him with her mother’s ring clutched in a sweaty palm. But she hadn’t known how to ask, hadn’t known if she <em>should</em>. Felix spent all his time around her, but he’d never given any indication that he was interested in romance or marriage, even if she had caught him staring at her body at times. That wasn’t unusual – she’d become used to that a long time ago.</p><p>Except, when anyone else did it, she hadn’t liked it. But when Felix looked at her, it made heat coil inside her. It made her want his hands on her too. It made her <em>want</em>–</p><p>But what did it matter? He’d left. His farewell had been short and perfunctory and all of a sudden he’d been gone and she’d stared at his retreating figure until he’d looked back and raised his hand in a final wave and she had forlornly waved back.</p><p>Hidden under the blanket, one of her hands finds the ring she now wears on a chain around her neck. She hadn’t known what else to do with it, and she liked having it close, even if it is a constant reminder of what she’d failed to say.</p><p>The metal is cold to touch.</p><p>Felix is looking away from her, but when a sudden, harsh blast of wind rattles the building and starts off another round of shivering in Byleth, he looks back, concerned.</p><p>“We need to get you warm,” he mutters, and Byleth doesn’t voice her thoughts, because she knows the best way for them to do that would be to share body heat. And she’s not going to say that to Felix, especially not after what she’s just said. Slightly bitter, she thinks the suggestion might actually propel him back out into the snow storm. Instead, she curls tighter into herself and stares at the fire until Felix says her name.</p><p>When she looks at him, she sees a look of determination on his face. “I’m going to warm you up,” he says in a rough voice, and even just <em>that</em> makes her feel hotter.</p><p>Does he know what that sounds like?</p><p>She clears her suddenly dry throat. “How?”</p><p>“Lie down in front of the fire.” He’s speaking with confidence now, seemingly able to overcome his embarrassment in his effort to help her. It does something to Byleth’s insides that makes her squirm.</p><p>Wordlessly, she does as he requests, and Felix stands and retrieves a pillow from the bed shoved in the corner. He returns, placing it under her head and then lying down behind her, arranging himself so that he’s curled up against her.</p><p>Felix is <em>spooning her.</em></p><p>There’s still a thick blanket between them, but the solid feel of him against her – from her back, her ass, her thighs, feels so <em>good</em> that Byleth can’t help but press back against him. Behind her, Felix makes a strained noise and rearranges himself slightly.</p><p>“Is this alright?” he asks, voice gruff.</p><p>Faintly, she responds, “Yes.”</p><p>There’s some more shuffling as he gets comfortable behind her and arranges the blankets so that she’s completely covered, and then his arm wraps around her middle, holding her close. Byleth can feel his breath on the back of her neck, and she shivers again, but this time it isn’t from the cold. Felix holds her tighter in response.</p><p>”We–“ She licks her lips. “We could have sparred to warm up,” she mutters.</p><p>Byleth sneaks a hand out from the folds of the blanket to brush some damp hair off her face. To her surprise, Felix takes it in his and resettles both of them again, his arm once again resting around her middle, this time also holding her hand against her.</p><p>His hand is so <em>warm</em> now. She looks down, enamoured by the way their fingers are entangled.</p><p>“You weren’t able to take off your own gloves,” he tells her, voice still rough. “Much less hold a weapon. Where’s the challenge in that?”</p><p>She shivers again and Felix clearly thinks it’s due to the cold, so he lifts a leg and wraps it around her hip, making sure their bodies are completely flush and she’s getting as much warmth as she can without them actually being under the same blanket together.</p><p>“…Alright?” He asks again in that strained tone of voice, and Byleth can only nod.</p><p>It’s more than alright. In fact, it’s not enough. She wants to roll onto her back and pull him down on top of her, feel the full weight of him on her and his breath in her ear. She wants his hands on her, warming her up that way, and then his lips, and she wants–</p><p>Byleth sucks in a breath, shoving thoughts like that away with a flicker of guilt. Felix is being considerate and caring, it’s not fair to be so… lustful. Even if part of the reason she’s feeling so lustful is <em>because</em> he’s being so caring. Because it’s Felix and she–</p><p>No, that’s another train of thought to cut off. She takes another deep breath and closes her eyes, calming her mind and matching her breathing to his, letting him and the fire warm her up. She thinks about the battle, about where they’ll have to fight next, and about the paperwork she knows is waiting for her back at Garreg Mach. She thinks about Dimitri and the others, hoping they’re all okay.</p><p>She does what she can to not dwell on thoughts of the man who is currently spooning her tightly.</p><p>Felix remains quiet, and silence stretches between, with the only sound being that of the snow storm raging outside and the warm fire crackling inside.</p><p>It’s not quite like any silence they’ve shared before, and both of them are people who are happy not filling the air with pointless words. But now there’s a heaviness to it, something tense, and it’s not long before Byleth has to give up her attempts about not thinking about him because it’s impossible. It makes her want to do something reckless. To turn in his arms and kiss him. To pull the blanket off herself and actually warm up, skin to skin.</p><p>She lets out a shaky breath, resisting the urge to squirm against Felix. She doesn’t want to make him feel even more uncomfortable. Instead, she closes her eyes again and gives in, and imagines what it would be like to be able to lie like this with Felix without the unspoken words or the uncertainty.</p><p>Byleth knows what she has to do if she wants that. She has to tell him how she feels. And she’s not sure if she’s ever faced a more terrifying prospect.</p><p>Just as she starts to relax, Felix shifts, tangling their legs closer together and letting go of her hand to rub his own up and down her side.</p><p>Byleth wants to scream. Does he have any <em>idea</em> what he’s doing to her?</p><p>His efforts are working, though, and she’s warming up quickly now.</p><p>It’s Felix who finally breaks the silence. “Do you like being Archbishop?”</p><p>She turns her head to him as much as she can, incredulous. Is he trying to make small talk? <em>Felix</em>? “Seriously? That’s what you want to talk about?”</p><p>He huffs. “It was just a question,” he snaps. “You don’t have to answer.”</p><p>“I’m only Archbishop because <em>someone</em> has to be. So, no, I don’t like it.”</p><p>“You don’t have to be Archbishop, let someone else do it, like Seteth.”</p><p>“Rhea named me her successor, so he won’t. And I thought you’d understand. You don’t stop being a Duke just because you don’t want to do it.”</p><p>“That’s not the same,” he says, impatiently.</p><p>Agitated now, Byleth sits up, keeping the blanket tight around herself, ignoring Felix’s scowl.</p><p>“I know it’s not the same, but my point is that sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do. Especially now, when everything is so fragile.”</p><p>Felix frowns at her, but doesn’t argue any further, which means he sees her point. Instead he says, “Lie back down. You need to get warm.”</p><p>If she lies back down and he starts touching her again, she might actually explode. As good as it felt, Byleth has to think about self preservation.</p><p>“I’m warm,” she tells him, and when he arches a disbelieving eyebrow, adds on, “Mostly. I’ll be fine, Felix.” He still looks unconvinced and Byleth smiles, touched by what she knows is his concern. “Thank you, for taking care of me.”</p><p>He blushes at that even as a tiny smile graces his lips, glancing away for a moment before looking back, his eyes focused somewhere below her face. “It was nothing,” he says, gruff. “But you should–“ He gestures at her, and Byleth frowns, confused. With a sigh, Felix leans over and pulls the blanket up from where it’s slipped, exposing her shoulder. Byleth’s breath catches as his fingers skim lightly along her bare skin, and his face is so close, his eyes bright and mouth parted slightly–</p><p><em>Kiss me, kiss me, please kiss me</em>–</p><p>He doesn’t kiss her, but Byleth also does not kiss him, and her stomach clenches in frustrated arousal as Felix pulls back. He’s staring at her with a heavy expression, one that makes her certain his thoughts are running along similar lines to hers, but in the next moment, Felix is standing and turning away from her, leaving her doubting herself.</p><p>“You stay by the fire,” he tells her, a bit snappishly. “I’ll– I have to do something.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>His shoulders hunch slightly. “Just… something. Get some rest.”</p><p>So Byleth curls up by the fire and watches Felix inspect every part of the small lodge. He painstakingly hangs their clothes anywhere he can in an attempt to dry them out. But there’s not much more for him to do. This cabin is built to withstand a Faerghus winter, and the windows were already closed and shuttered up before they arrived. It’s barebones, but more than adequate to get them through the night.</p><p>“There’s enough firewood to last, but there’s no food,” he tells her, which is a worry, especially as it’s getting dark now and they’re here for the night at least.</p><p>“Hopefully the blizzard will be over by morning.”</p><p>Felix nods, and they decide to wait and see. If it’s clear in the morning they can leave, if not… they’ll come up with a plan.</p><p>He’s more hesitant when he says, “There’s only one bed.”</p><p>Byleth doesn’t even turn from the fire. “You can have it, I’ll stay here.”</p><p>He sighs, exasperated. “I’m not letting you sleep on the floor, Byleth.”</p><p>“It’s not a big deal, I’ve slept on floors before.”</p><p>“And you shouldn’t have to do it anymore. Anyway, it’s not right for the Archbishop.”</p><p>Byleth scoffs and turns to him where he’s standing by the bed across the room. “Please don’t, Felix.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Don’t start treating me differently just because I’m the Archbishop. I get enough of that from everyone else.”</p><p>He nods at that, thoughtful. “I don’t think differently of you. I was just thinking about what Seteth would say to me if he knew I’d let you sleep on the floor.”</p><p>Byleth smiles at that, her flare of anger ebbing away. “He would be most unimpressed, it’s true.”</p><p>“So you’ll take the bed?”</p><p>“Only if you will too.” She can see by the way his eyes widen that he wasn’t expecting that. “Look, the bed is big enough for both of us, and it’s going to be cold tonight. It’s the most practical solution.”</p><p>It absolutely is not the most practical solution. How is she ever going to get a wink of sleep with Felix in the same bed, being shirtless and handsome?</p><p>Still though, there’s no point in someone sleeping on the floor, especially not when the wind is howling and it’s freezing outside. Sharing the bed will keep them both warm through the cold night.</p><p>A battle plays out across Felix’s face until it finally smoothes out in determination, like a man decided on his path no matter how hard it might be. “Alright. But you… I took the blanket you have from the bed.” He looks away from her. “You can’t sleep naked.”</p><p>She manages to stop herself from asking “<em>why not</em>?” and wishes she could figure out if his problem is because the thought of her being naked bothers him in a good way or a bad way. So Byleth stays silent and watches as he strides across the room and picks up his own shirt – his undershirt, a soft looking white linen thing. He holds it out to her.</p><p>“Here,” he mutters. “It’s better than nothing.”</p><p>“It’s dry?” Byleth sneaks a hand out of the blanket and takes the shirt, confirming for herself that it is indeed dry. “How?”</p><p>“Layers, Byleth,” he replies dryly. “We’d die in Faerghus if we didn’t know how to dress for winter. Didn’t you travel around Fódlan before you came to Garreg Mach?”</p><p>She shrugs and stands, waiting until Felix has turned away before dropping the blanket and pulling the shirt over her head, wondering if she’s weird for wanting to inhale Felix’s scent from it.</p><p>“We spent winters down in Adrestia, usually. Sometimes Leicester.”</p><p>“Sensible.”</p><p>The shirt hits her mid thigh, and with the loss of the thick blanket around her, Byleth shivers. She moves to the bed and throws the blanket over it, before turning back to Felix, who has turned around again and is looking at her with a pained expression.</p><p>“Are you alright?” she asks, alarmed.</p><p>His jaw clenches. “I’m fine. We should get some sleep. It’s not like there’s anything else to do.”</p><p>Byleth looks over at their swords, leaning side by side against the wall and repeats her earlier suggestion. “We <em>could</em> spar.”</p><p>He barks out a laugh. “You really want to make up for last time, don’t you?”</p><p>She had lost, the last time they’d trained together, shortly before he’d left for Fraldarius. “A little bit,” she admits.</p><p>There’s also a part of her that wants to watch him move like this, when he’s shirtless. She wants to see the way his muscles ripple with each flex and stretch.</p><p>She’d probably lose again, too distracted looking at his skin, but it might be one loss she wouldn’t mind.</p><p>“Maybe in the morning.” His eyes fall to her legs and his voice falls to a mutter. “If your clothes are dry.”</p><p>Byleth shivers again, and Felix snaps his head up, flushing. “Get in the bed,” he tells her, impatient. “You need to stay warm.”</p><p>It’s only because she can feel herself getting cold again does Byleth do as he says without commenting further. She settles in, sitting upright in the bed and drawing the thick blanket up to her neck, watching Felix as he prowls around the little cabin, checking the windows and door again, and then the fire, and then he carefully takes their swords and places each of them close on either side of the bed, easily within arm’s reach. He finds Byleth’s dagger and hands it to her, telling her to keep it close in case they’re ambushed in the night, and not once through all of this does he look at her. Byleth gets the impression he’s trying to find things to do to avoid getting into the bed beside her.</p><p>And again, she wonders if it’s because he really doesn’t or really <em>does</em> want to do it.</p><p>For a few minutes she watches him rearrange their damp clothing again, admiring the muscles in his back. He looks no different to how he had during the war – she had no doubt he’s keeping up with intense training everyday. She does the same, when her duties allow.</p><p>She misses spending time with him in the training ground so much.</p><p>Felix stays fiddling with the clothes, and Byleth decides he’s being a bit ridiculous.</p><p>“Felix, they’re fine, come to bed.”</p><p>He stiffens before straightening up, giving one last tug of his teal coat to straighten it out where it lies across the back of a chair by the little table in the middle of the room. Not meeting her eyes, he walks towards the bed and with one final check of the swords to make sure they’re accessible, he finally climbs in, gingerly pulling the blanket up over himself. It’s obvious he’s trying not to disturb her.</p><p>Without saying a word, Felix lies down as close to the edge in the bed that Byleth now realises really isn’t that big with two people in it, and turns so that his back is facing her.</p><p>She sighs, and lies down too, facing him, wanting nothing more than to reach out and touch him.</p><p>“Are you still cold?” He asks after a moment.</p><p>“I’m alright.” She’s a little cold, in truth, but she knows she’ll warm up again soon. Felix is close enough for her to be able to feel his body heat, and the fire is still burning brightly, the shadow of the flames dancing across the wall.</p><p>Despite knowing that she should sleep and get some rest, Byleth can’t settle. For Felix’s sake she does her best not to fidget, and he himself seems to be like a stone across from her.</p><p>But she can tell he’s still awake, so after a few minutes of tense silence, she asks, “How are things in Fraldarius?”</p><p>“Fine,” he grunts, seemingly automatically. But then he sighs. “There’s a lot of work to be done.”</p><p>Byleth hums in sympathy. “I had to ask Dimitri about you, you know.”</p><p>His head turns to the side slightly, looking back at her. “Why?”</p><p>“You didn’t write. I heard from everyone but you. I know you were busy but when you didn’t reply to my letters, I got worried.” Byleth tries to keep the hurt out of her face, but she’s not sure she succeeds. Usually it’s not difficult for her to maintain the stoic face she’d had when she’d first arrived at Garreg Mach. But it’s harder with those she’s closest to – those who she’d call a dear friend like Dimitri, or those who have become something like family, like Seteth or Flayn.</p><p>And she’d thought for a time that Felix was the person she was closest to out of all them.</p><p>He turns away from her again, fidgeting slightly. “I’m… sorry,” he finally says. “I was busy, but it wasn’t that.” He falls silent, and Byleth waits patiently for him to gather his thoughts. “I didn’t know what to say,” Felix finally says. “Your letters were all business. It was a letter from the Archbishop and not from my– from you.”</p><p>“Oh.” Byleth knows why that is – she’d felt awkward. She has so many feelings about Felix, and she’d missed him so much… but she couldn’t say any of that in a letter. Suddenly, simple phrases seemed too loaded, too obvious. And Seteth had been pressuring her to write, stressing the need to keep in touch with the nobles. She’d wasted so much parchment on letters that she’d thrown on the fire, and after it all she’d ended up with a brusque, formal letter, nothing that suggested they were close.</p><p>“I’m sorry for that,” she tells the back of his head. “I wasn’t sure how to say… to say what I wanted.”</p><p>“I can understand that,” Felix says, voice a little softer than before. He doesn’t ask her what it is she wanted to say. Perhaps that’s for the best, because in the cosy atmosphere of the cabin, just the two of them, alone in a bed – she might have told him.</p><p>Under the cover of the blanket, Byleth stretches her fingers across the small gap between them, stopping short of touching him. She can feel heat radiating off him. She holds back a sigh, and instead closes her eyes, and simply says, “Goodnight, Felix.”</p><p>He murmurs the same in reply, and they both fall silent again.</p><p>It takes her a long time to fall asleep, hyper aware of Felix so close. And, judging by how rigid and still Felix remains, she guesses he’s no better. But eventually the long day and warmth of the bed and Felix catches up to her, and she drifts away into sleep.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>It’s dark when she wakes.</p><p>That’s the first thing Byleth notices. The second is that the back of her neck is cold – it’s the only part of her uncovered, and her hair is still pulled up from Felix’s efforts earlier. The fire is burning low, and the cabin is cold.</p><p>However, the back of her neck is the <em>only</em> part of her that’s cold. She can still hear the wind howling outside, but the rest of her is actually very, very warm, and that’s because she’s wrapped herself right around Felix.</p><p>She goes rigid, all at once very aware of how intimately she’s pressed against him, a leg thrown over his hip, an arm around his back, her head tucked under his chin.</p><p>Clearly at some point in the night Felix had turned to face her, and <em>what’s more</em>, one of his hands is now resting on the thigh hiked around his waist, dangerously high considering she’s not wearing anything under this shirt.</p><p>She’s so close against him she can feel that he’s hard.</p><p>Byleth does not let herself think about that, because she needs to figure out a way to extract herself from him without waking him. Felix’s breaths are steady and even – he’s definitely still sleeping.</p><p>She shifts slightly, testing the waters.</p><p>The hand on her thigh tightens, fingers pressing into her skin, sending a bolt of pleasure right to her core, and Byleth can’t stop the small gasp that escapes her lips. This is <em>torturous</em>, and Felix would be mortified if he knew. The last thing she wants is to make him uncomfortable.</p><p>Carefully, she lifts her hand from his – bare, strong, muscled – back, but this time, it’s Felix who moves, sighing quietly as he shifts, his knee moving in-between her legs, heading into just as dangerous an area as his hand. It would take nothing for her to start grinding her centre down on his thigh – if he were awake and interested in that, of course.</p><p>Byleth sighs. She shifts her hips backwards, trying again, this time moving her hand down to his, intending to try pry it off her thigh so she can move.</p><p>Felix goes still and his breathing quiets when she touches his hand, and she freezes.</p><p>“Byleth?” His voice is delicious, heavy with sleep. His fingers flex against her skin.</p><p>Not quite knowing what to do or say, Byleth can only say, “Yes?” in reply in a too high voice. Should she move? Jerk her leg out of his grip and shift back to her side of the bed and pretend this never happened?</p><p>Embarrassment licks up her spine.</p><p>Felix’s head raises from the pillow. There’s enough light left from the dying fire for her to make out his face – heavy lidded but aware, his hair a mess, the blanket slipping from his shoulders. Despite that, his expression makes her think of how he looks just before they spar – calculating, considering. He hadn’t always been like that, of course. At first, when he’d been a student, he’d rushed in, thinking his strength, his skill, and his speed would be enough. And considering how skilled he already was, even then, against many that might have been enough.</p><p>But not Byleth. He had to learn to read his opponent; taking in things like what hand they favoured, the possibilities of hidden weapons, if they appeared to be carrying an injury he could exploit. He learned how to strategise while his other skills continued to grow.</p><p>He’s looking at her like that now, in a way that makes her feel like all her vulnerabilities – all the words she’s been afraid to say – are clear and obvious.</p><p>“Byleth.” He repeats her name, his voice still heavy, but this time not with sleep but with something else.</p><p>She licks her lips and swallows, her throat dry. “I’m sorry. I just woke up like this. I’ll move–“</p><p>He shakes his head. More of his hair comes loose, falling around his shoulders. Byleth slides her hand off his, but she doesn’t get very far, because Felix moves quick and grabs it, tangling their fingers together.</p><p>Heat rushes through her, and she squirms, biting down hard on her lip so that she doesn’t make some kind of embarrassing noise.</p><p>“I don’t want you to move,” he whispers, voice low. His head dips closer to her, and the knee between her leg moves, the fabric of his trousers dragging against the sensitive skin of the inside of her thigh. She can’t help the noise she makes – the quiet, desperate noise from the back of her throat.</p><p>Felix lets go of her hand and searches for her thigh under the blanket, gently squeezing.</p><p>“F-Felix,” she whispers, shuddering slightly as the pads of his fingers slide across her skin. “Don’t stop.”</p><p>To her chagrin he does stop at her words, watching her with an intense expression. She reaches up and curls a hand into his hair. It feels as silky as she always imagined it, and maybe later she’ll be able to appreciate that fully. But right now her arousal is rising and she can’t lie here and not kiss him anymore.</p><p>Stretching up, Byleth presses her mouth softly to his, cupping his cheek. It’s brief, and she quickly pulls back to look him in the eyes.</p><p>“That’s what I wanted to say to you.” It’s not very eloquently worded, but his eyes widen in understanding. “But I didn’t want to say it in a letter. I should have said it before you left.”</p><p>Felix’s hand slides higher, up over her bare hip, and he presses closer to her, his nose brushing against hers. “Said what exactly?” he murmurs against her lips.</p><p>She swallows down the flutter of anxiety in her throat easier than she expects. Perhaps it’s because Felix is looking at her so warmly.</p><p>“That I really miss you… and that I love you.”</p><p>His breath stutters across her skin, and then Felix is kissing her, his tongue sliding past her lips to taste her immediately. She meets him eagerly, heat spreading through her as she arches against him. His hand squeezes her thigh tighter, hitching it higher around him, and Byleth lifts her other leg, locking her ankles together and resting her feet on his ass, holding him in-between her legs.</p><p>She groans into his mouth as he rubs against her, right against her core, because her shirt has ridden up to her waist. The noise only seems to spur Felix on, who presses closer against her and slides his hand back up her thigh, over her hip and her side, until his fingers brush against the soft underside of her breast. It’s all a maddening tease, making her want more.</p><p>Byleth shifts slightly and rocks against him, and this time it’s Felix’s turn to groan as she feels him getting hard again, so close to where she wants him. He pulls away from her lips, breathing harshly and Byleth is going to say… something – she’s not sure what, but she feels like she should say <em>something</em>, but it appears Felix is only getting started.</p><p>He begins kissing down her neck, and makes a very sexy growl when the shirt she’s wearing gets in the way. His eyes flick up to hers, black in the dim room, as he tugs it higher.</p><p>She sees the question he’s asking, and lifts her arms for him to pull the shirt off. Once it’s gone – flung somewhere across the room – Felix descends on her again, kissing and biting his way down her neck, both hands now on her breasts, squeezing and fondling, clearly getting well acquainted with the feel of them.</p><p>When his lips wrap around a nipple, Byleth presses her lips together to muffle the whimper that threatens to escape.</p><p>Once again, his eyes find hers. He pauses for just a second before his teeth graze her nipple.</p><p>A gasp escapes her, and she grabs his hair.</p><p>“Again,” she demands.</p><p>She feels him smile against her, and he does as she requests – harder this time, soothing away the pleasant sting of his teeth with his tongue.</p><p>It’s like a bolt of arousal going straight to her cunt and making her throb, and it spurs her into action.</p><p>She still wants more.</p><p>Taking Felix off guard, she flips their positions so that he’s on his back and she’s straddling him. The blankets fall from around her. She should probably be feeling the cold, Byleth thinks distantly.</p><p>But she isn’t. She feels hot. Burning.</p><p>Felix’s hands leave a scorching trail down her back. He might have been taken by surprise by the switch in position, but he’s adapting quickly. Gripping her ass, he pulls her forward, making her brace herself against the wall.</p><p>Byleth looks down at his face between her legs, a sight that sends another rush of arousal through her. Felix’s hair is in complete disarray, spread out around his head. He meets her gaze with a heavy lidded expression, and whatever he sees on her face makes him <em>smirk</em> like he does sometimes when he knows he’s pulled off a good move in training and has her on the back foot.</p><p>He turns his head to kiss the inside of her thigh, sweet and soft, making her shudder, before he bites the sensitive skin.</p><p>That makes byleth jerk her hips forward and moan. Loudly. Resting her forearms against the wall, she leans forward to look down between them.</p><p>Their eyes meet again. Felix looks so pleased with himself already and he isn’t even touching her where she wants. Byleth knows she’s wet already – and considering the view Felix has, he must know that too.</p><p>“Felix.” Byleth attempts to sound forceful, but she’s far too breathless for that. And she doesn’t manage to say anything else because he pulls her forward and seals his mouth over the very centre of her, his tongue sliding through her wetness. It makes her cry out in pleasure, legs already shaking slightly from how much she wants this. He groans into her, eyes sliding shut, his hands gripping her hips tightly, keeping her where she wants him.</p><p>Felix eats her out like he’s starving, messy, more unpredictable than he is during training. His tongue dips into her, fucking her slightly, and then he’s licking right up the centre of her before sucking on her clit. When Byleth reaches down and grabs his hair rougher than she intends, he only moans into her, the vibrations adding another layer of sensation.</p><p>Her orgasm is building fast, and not just because Felix is learning quickly what she likes, wringing out pants and moans from her, seemingly determined to make her fall apart on top of him. But it’s also because she’s wanted this for so long. She’s thought about it – this – late at night with her hand between her legs, and nothing she’s ever fantasised about is as good as the real thing, as Felix appears to want her as much as she wants him.</p><p>She can’t help but grind against his mouth, her thighs tightening around his head. But he doesn’t let her move much, like he’s intent that he’ll have her coming by <em>his</em> effort alone.</p><p>Byleth can’t even hear the roar of the blizzard outside anymore, not over the sounds of her own moans and the filthy noise of Felix’s mouth on her.</p><p>When her orgasm slams into her, Byleth can’t keep her eyes open as the pleasure crests over her. She can barely keep herself upright as she trembles, her hand still in a tight grip on Felix’s hair. He doesn’t let up even then, continuing to eat her out, and even when she begins to come down, his tongue flicks across her clit, sending aftershocks throughout her body.</p><p>He waits until she meets his gaze again before he stops, turning his head slightly to run his nose along her thigh before he moves, holding her tight as he sits up, leaning against the wall and settling her on his lap. Byleth, still boneless from her orgasm, puts up no resistance, draping herself across him.</p><p>When they’re face to face, Byleth wipes her slick from his cheeks and chin, slightly amazed at the mess she’s made of him.</p><p>“Enjoyed yourself, I take it?” Felix asks, looking pleased. He knows the answer.</p><p>She smiles, and grinds lightly in his lap, feeling his hard erection against her. He hisses between his teeth.</p><p>“I did,” Byleth murmurs, leaning in to kiss him lightly. “I think you did, too.”</p><p>“I did,” he confirms, voice low as he thrusts lightly up against her. His gaze lowers, dark eyelashes brushing across his cheeks. “I should have told you before too…” His eyes raise to hers, dark and determined. “But I love you too. I should have told you,” he repeats, a scowl crosses his face. “I was a coward.”</p><p>“So was I.” Byleth shrugs with a smile. She can’t bring herself to dwell on time lost, not when he’s just told her words she’s longed to hear.</p><p>Not when he’s just given her such a powerful orgasm.</p><p>His gaze lowers again as he picks up the ring that hangs around her neck.</p><p>“It’s my mother’s ring,” she tells him, watching as he gently smooths his thumb over it. “My father told me… he told me to give it to someone I wanted to spend my life with. I want you to have it.”</p><p>Felix smiles, a blush crossing his face as he continues to touch the ring. But it soon turns slightly rueful. “I have a ring, too.” He glances briefly over at his clothes, hanging neatly throughout the cabin before looking back at her, straightening up and turning serious. “I want us to stay together until we die. Marry me, Byleth.”</p><p>Even though her heart doesn’t beat, it does soar at his words, and Byleth kisses him, a clear <em>yes</em> in her response. She separates from him to pull the chain up over her head and puts it over his, beaming at him. Felix touches it again, looking at her almost shyly, and she leans in to kiss him again.</p><p>Felix groans into her mouth, letting her explore his mouth for a moment before he pulls away, breathless, glancing once more over at his clothes. “My ring–“</p><p>“It can wait.” Byleth pulls his head back and kisses him again, grinding against his still clothed cock, which remains hard between her legs. Right now that seems more pressing than a ring.</p><p>Felix has clearly been doing a good job ignoring his own arousal up until now, but his restraint seems to be disappearing as he thrusts harder against her, his hands suddenly everywhere – her hair, her back, her breasts, demanding and greedy, making her own arousal climb again.</p><p>Byleth slides a hand down between their bodies to grasp his cock, enjoying the solid feel of it. She lifts onto her knees to pull his trousers down over his hips, baring him to her, and then takes him in hand again.</p><p>Felix groans and tilts his head back against the wall as she thumbs the slit at the head of his cock, using his precum to wet her hand so she can pump him better. She presses bites and kisses into his neck, enjoying the way his cock twitches in her hand when her teeth graze him. She squirms in his lap, feeling herself getting wet again. She wants him in her, in her mouth, her cunt. She wants his mouth on her again, his hands touching her. She wants to spar with him every day until he’s on his back underneath her and then she wants to kiss him breathless.</p><p>Felix lifts his head to capture her lips in a wild kiss, his hands on the back of her thighs encouraging her to lift up. He breaks away with a shuddering gasp as Byleth slides down onto his length, while she fights to keep her eyes open at the delicious sensation of being filled, determined to watch the expression on his face.</p><p>Fully seated in him, Byleth starts slow, moving her hips in small circles as she adjusts to the stretch. Felix’s hands grab at her thighs, encouraging her movements. His mouth is parted in pleasure, eyes half closed. She leans forward, crushing her breasts against him, nipping at his lower lip with her teeth as she begins to move faster.</p><p>Felix encourages her, using his strength to help her lift and then slam back down on his cock as he thrusts up. His lips find her neck, kissing her skin between his moans.</p><p>It feels so good. Dizzyingly good. Byleth curls her arms around his shoulders, holding tight as she rides him, moaning his name.</p><p>So focused on her pleasure, she’s taken by surprise when Felix suddenly grabs her hips when she’s sheathed in him, stilling her movements completely. He lifts his head to kiss her, swallowing down her question, and then his hands shift back to her thighs and he pitches her back onto the bed, keeping himself seated in her.</p><p>She laughs lightly as she lands and brushes some hair out of his face – his face that’s now looming above hers, a satisfied smile on face. Her ring – his ring, now – dangles between them.</p><p>Really, she should have known he’d do something like this, but she’s not complaining, not when she’s already had one powerful orgasm and is well on her way to a second.</p><p>Felix cocks an eyebrow at her and pulls out as he raises her legs, almost pressing her in half to hook her knees around his shoulders. He slams back into her, making Byelth cry out as he hits a spot inside her that makes her see stars.</p><p>Felix stills. “You alright?” he asks, breathless.</p><p>Her hand clutches at the back of his neck. “Don’t stop,” she hisses, clenching her cunt around him.</p><p>His lips twitch upwards in a brief smile before he does it again, and begins fucking her in long, strong strokes, reaching some deep part inside her that has her legs trembling again.</p><p>“By–“ She’s never heard him so out of breath before, not even after they’ve trained together for hours, or after a difficult battle. “<em>Byleth</em>,” he moans, his eyes closing as he picks up his pace, breath catching each time she raises her hips to welcome him into her.</p><p>Her fingers find her clit, and he opens his eyes to glance down between their bodies, the muscles in his shoulders shifting as he moves. He groans as he watches her touch herself, taking a moment to grind into her when he’s fully sheathed.</p><p>“I’m close,” she tells him, voice almost slurring in desire, and his head snaps up, eyes narrowing like she’s just issued some kind of challenge. Leaning forward slightly, he picks up his pace, watching her face intently. He’s still watching when she comes just a moment later, clenching around his cock with a cry.</p><p>Felix keeps fucking her, but now that she’s had her pleasure, it’s clear he’s let go of the last of his restraint, his thrusts speeding up and becoming slightly more erratic as he chases his own release. Byleth holds on, watching his face as she rides out the aftershocks of her own orgasm.</p><p>Felix is loud when he comes, his mouth falling open in a moan. He looks a mess, a handsome, satisfied, mess, and Byleth can’t help but moan as she feels the warmth of his release inside her.</p><p>Panting, Felix drops his face into the crook of her neck and lets her legs fall from his shoulders. She wraps her arms around him, and they both stay quietly like that for a few minutes as they catch their breaths.</p><p>When she starts running her fingers through his hair, Felix sighs lightly, and kisses her skin.</p><p>“To think,” he mumbles, “we could have been doing this months ago.”</p><p>She lets out a huff of laughter at that, feeling his smile against her in return.</p><p>“Would you ever have told me how you felt if we hadn’t ended up here?” Byleth asks as Felix gropes blindly for the blanket. She helps him, pulling it up over their rapidly cooling bodies.</p><p>“Yes,” he replies, voice muffled. “I should have done it before I left. Right after the war. Before then, even.” He pauses. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”</p><p>Byleth smiles at the startling honest admission. “I was the same.”</p><p>“No one at Fraldarius is a challenge for me,” he gripes and raises his head. “You better not have gone soft.”</p><p>She raises her eyebrows. “Not at all.”</p><p>“Then I hope you’ll be happy to prove it.”</p><p>“Oh,” she says, voice lowering. “I will.”</p><p>There’s a definite flair of desire in his eyes at her words. His lips curl up. “Good,” he murmurs, just as he leans down to kiss her.</p><p>Outside, the blizzard begins to calm, but neither of them notice.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>A loud thud wakes Byleth up the next morning, pulling her out of the most comfortable sleep she’s had in ages. Felix is also moving, disentangling himself from her, and doing what she is – reaching for his sword.</p><p>Another thud, and then the door swings open just as Byleth gets to her feet, sword in hand. No time for clothes, she thinks grimly, and a part of her is darkly amused that the beginning of her relationship with Felix is going to be marked by them both fighting naked.</p><p>The cabin – all shuttered up against the Faerghus winter, is dark and cold, and the open door sends in a flood of light. There’s a clear blue sky outside – the blizzard has passed.</p><p>And thankfully, it’s not an enemy that steps inside. It’s Ingrid, lance in hand, who blinks as her eyes adjust to the dim room and then realises just what it is she’s looking at, and yelps, covering her eyes with one hand.</p><p>“Professor! Felix! I’m sorry!” She starts walking backwards back out the door and bumps into Sylvain.</p><p>“Ingrid, what’s wrong?” He sounds alarmed, but then he too, catches sight of Felix and Byleth, and immediately bursts out laughing.</p><p>“Okay, wow. Glad to see you’re both more than well.” His eyes raise upwards to the ceiling, a move more respectful of them than Byleth might have expected. She’d have thought he’d take the opportunity to ogle.</p><p>Scowling, Felix grabs the trousers that had been discarded the night before, pulling them on roughly. Byleth simply shrugs and grabs the blanket, wrapping it around herself. She can only hope her own clothes are dry.</p><p>“Get out,” Felix snaps.</p><p>“We’ll wait outside!” Ingrid calls, eyes still closed, one hand tugging at Sylvain to get him to move.</p><p>He doesn’t budge, his eyes lowering now that they’re both semi-decent. “That’s no way to talk to a friend who has trekked through snow and wind to find you.” He turns to Ingrid. “I <em>told</em> you they’d keep each other warm, didn’t I?”</p><p>“Sylvain,” Ingrid hisses.</p><p>Byleth narrows her eyes at him. Seeing her expression, Sylvain’s smile dims a bit. “Aww Professor, don’t look at me like that. I’m glad you two had fun. Felix has been pining away–“</p><p>“Get out, Sylvain,” she says coldly, so cold, it makes him step back.</p><p>Felix snickers, and it makes the smile on Sylvain’s face turn soft. “Alright, alright,” he says, eyes flickering over Felix, taking in both the ring and the bite marks around his neck. “I’m happy for you both.” He turns, taking Ingrid’s arm in his. “Let’s wait outside for the lovebirds, Ingrid.”</p><p>They leave, closing the door quietly behind them. Byleth smiles to herself, going over to the table to light the oil lamp on it to brighten up the room.</p><p>When she turns to face Felix, she finds him over by his clothes, a small box in his hand. He glances up as she walks over to him, and thrusts the box out at her.</p><p>“Here.”</p><p>She reaches her arm out through the blanket to take the box, opening it carefully to reveal the ring inside. She smiles.</p><p>“Thank you, Felix, it’s beautiful.”</p><p>He huffs, flushing, and steps closer, taking the box back out of her hands. Pulling the ring out, he takes her hand and places it on her finger, looking pleased as he does so.</p><p>“I suppose this means I’ll be spending more time in Fraldarius.”</p><p>He smiles, curling his hand around hers as he steps closer to her. “Then you’ll have to learn how to dress properly for the winter.”</p><p>Byleth stretches up to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Why would I do that when I’ll have you to warm me up?”</p><p>He laughs at that, and Byleth is sure she can feel her heart swell, sure she’s never heard Felix laugh quite so freely before. His free hand sneaks into the blanket around her, sliding around her waist and touching her back.</p><p>He kisses her then, soundly and deeply, eventually pushing the blanket off her body and pulling her back towards the bed, both of them completely forgetting about their friends waiting outside.</p><p>Byleth feels a bit bad when she does remember, some time later, hoping their moans hadn’t been too loud.</p><p>But she’s sure they’ll understand.</p>
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